Metal Halides are the bomb

[bobnicaragua]

I run all 3 types of light. Led bars will add the pop you are missing.

All lights are on together for 6 1/2 hours a day. 20k 250 watt halides in the center, 2 rows of t5, and 2 rows of orphek or3 bars. The orpheks do add more pop when run with the t5 and halides.

 

[A. grandis]

[/HEADING]
[HEADING=3]Superlightman​

Active Member​

I just switch back two days ago and some corals , accros react already with more polyps extension and some others are bigger same euphyllia ancora that seems to love it , I didn't know that they could be bigger lol,I have also 3 gonioporas, two of them were fine but one never fully open since months and now it is open. So the first signs are encouraging, will see if the next weeks the colours will change or not.Led works, but there is something that halides have what they don't that corals likes more, but what??

Day time now my tank is more pleasant to look than before and with halides + the appropriate t5 from ati to ad pop It looks in term if colours 90% what it was with led + better brightness and shimmer. Just a bit less pop. I forgot how pleasant the brightness and shimmer was, even my family said the tanks look brighter and same we are in the sea with the shimmer. The coverage is also better than with leds, 4 radions 5g with diffuser could not do what just two halides did.
But what I miss is the ramp up and down morning and evening, so I have to figure a way to use the radion for the morning or evening or add led bar same orphek or reefbrite. If someone has an Idea how I could fix the radions with the giesemann infinity please share me the idea so that I can get the best from the two world.

Wide, well distributed, complete and constant spectrum (from UV to IR) is what the difference is. Your corals don't care about ramping at all. Giesemann Infinity and Spectra are among the best fixtures in existence! You don't need anything else!!!! Enjoy your tank as it is in regards to lighting. Your corals will display amazingly healthy and with superb growth/colors. Halides/T5s are the best!
Yes, halides are the BOMB!

 

[A. grandis]

Here is my 120 with 1 OR3 blue sky and 2 250 de 14K MH on hqi ballasts.
Just got the IceCap macro lens kit so colors are true.
I think you will be happy!
I just hung another OR3 blue plus but dont have a pick yet.
I will get one up today on my build thread.
Halide 8hrs
OR3 9HRS
12 " off the surface.

Very nice pics!!!! Thanks for sharing, 90's!

 

[X-37B]

Here is a comparison pic of the tank when I added the blue sky to the tank. Now running 1 blue sky and 1 blue plus to supplement my halides.
I really like the look with the OR3 bars.
Pic 1 Halides only.
Pic 2 with Both OR3's.

 

[Superlightman]

Actually I have aqua performance 14000k inside , but I found them not so bright than the 10000k I had in the past .I'm thinking return to 10000 k or I read the giesemann megachrome 17500 should also be very bright ? Someone have it ?

 

[Superlightman]

Here is a comparison pic of the tank when I added the blue sky to the tank. Now running 1 blue sky and 1 blue plus to supplement my halides.
I really like the look with the OR3 bars.
Pic 1 Halides only.
Pic 2 with Both OR3's.

yes it adds nice colors

 

[GarrettT]

So I received my two 400w metal halides last week. Never used halides before, as I was concerned about heat. Everyone claims you HAVE to have a chiller and that the heat is unbearable. When I turn on the 2x 400w MH's and 2x OR3 led strips, my temperature only goes from 77F to 78.5F. This is over a 6 hour lighting period with lights 10'' from the surface. No fans... In Texas...

With fans on my Temperature actually drops!

Am I the only one? I was expecting heat to be a much bigger issue.

 

[Bpb]

So I received my two 400w metal halides last week. Never used halides before, as I was concerned about heat. Everyone claims you HAVE to have a chiller and that the heat is unbearable. When I turn on the 2x 400w MH's and 2x OR3 led strips, my temperature only goes from 77F to 78.5F. This is over a 6 hour lighting period with lights 10'' from the surface. No fans... In Texas...

With fans on my Temperature actually drops!

Am I the only one? I was expecting heat to be a much bigger issue.

Lots of people get away with it without a chiller. I had more heat input to the tank with t5’s actually. Every situation kind of stands on its own. Some people need dedicated AC units to the tank room, commercial dehumidifiers, chillers, and still struggle. Others use nothing

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Am I the only one? I was expecting heat to be a much bigger issue.

nope, that sounds about right, 2 degrees per day for me, which has been fine up to now. No need for a chiller. Congrats, aren't MH lights so much nicer and brighter?

 

[mandarin417]

I was in Houston last year with a MH over my 120. Temps would get up to 80 without a chiller and my tank thrived.

 

[Big Smelly fish]

You can’t beat MH lights.

 

[mandarin417]

MH has always given me the best coral growth and rendering of fish colors with a supplemental actinic LED strip (used to be a BML strip). My tank before moving was 36" long and I would offset a single MH 250W which gave some great shadows on one side of the tank based on my rockscape. I think it added more interest and gave fish a place to escape "the sun". Getting ready to setup a new tank since moving soon.

 

[madlos123]

90 gallon 2 250W 10,000 Metal Halide. My tank is going almost 3 months now. I know corals are sparse but they are in quarantine for now. Soon!

I also have 2 t5 actinic bulbs but are not on during the video.

Corals are growing nicely. Apart from a couple corals a little pale from my mistake switching from a dim LED to MH and added them too soon. Everything is good no chiller just a couple computer fan.

 

[Smite]

Same. I've got 2x250w and xho reefbrite on a 75g, 2 CPU fans and my tank stays within a degree most of the time. It has hit 80F before but that isnt bad.

I'll say my fans run about 50% more than when I was running 3 x g5 x30 blues. They still had to run even with LED though.

I'm upgrading tanks soon and will be sticking with MH and LED supplementation. I love it.

 

[A. grandis]

MH still crowned King of artificial lights! Period!
I'm very happy for all of you guys experiencing your amazing results!!
Thanks for sharing!

 

[minus9]

So I received my two 400w metal halides last week. Never used halides before, as I was concerned about heat. Everyone claims you HAVE to have a chiller and that the heat is unbearable. When I turn on the 2x 400w MH's and 2x OR3 led strips, my temperature only goes from 77F to 78.5F. This is over a 6 hour lighting period with lights 10'' from the surface. No fans... In Texas...

With fans on my Temperature actually drops!

Am I the only one? I was expecting heat to be a much bigger issue.

Welcome to the club! Enjoy!

 

[minus9]

It's funny. I have two 250w Reef Brite pendants (brand new) and I'm currently hunting down some Jakarta live rock. I kinda feel like it's 1997 all over again. Feels good!

 

[djf91]

It's funny. I have two 250w Reef Brite pendants (brand new) and I'm currently hunting down some Jakarta live rock. I kinda feel like it's 1997 all over again. Feels good!

Loved those days in the hobby.

 

[Guttersnipe]

I am so happy to say I just placed my order with giesemannn today. I can’t wait to get the spectra over my tank.

 

[Torontotraders]

I picked up a 72 inch giesemann spectra. Currently have my 48 inch for sale….

My tank is 96 long; 24 high; 30 deep. I plan on running the giesemann at 250 watts because the tank isn’t that tall, and 250 x 3 bulbs is obviously more energy efficient.
Would anyone be able to recommend a good combination t5/mh bulbs to make this tank pop!?! In the future I may accentuate with orpheks for night viewing and to create soft on and off modes. But it’s not as important as seeing the tank as natural as possible with the giesemann - I’m just not sure which bulbs to go with.